Bird Strike Possible Factor in Navy Training Jet Crash

ARLINGTON, Va. — A bird strike may have contributed to the crash of a Navy T-45C Goshawk training jet aircraft Jan. 17 near Naval Air Station (NAS) Meridian, Miss., during a training flight.

The Naval Safety Center’s website said the T-45C “experienced bird strike during takeoff” and “impacted ground just short of runway during RTB [return to base].”
The mishap is under investigation, and the website did not directly state that the bird strike was the cause.

“The incident occurred off the east runway on board the installation,” the Navy said in a Jan. 17 release. “The student and instructor pilot were able to eject safely near the airfield. NAS first responders were dispatched to the scene of the mishap and both pilots were subsequently taken to a local medical facility for evaluation.”

The T-45C, assigned to Training Air Wing One, was being flown by pilots assigned to Training Squadron Nine, one of two training squadrons based at Meridian.

Two T-45Cs were lost in mishaps last year, one of them from Meridian. No fatalities occurred in the accidents.